Fire Safety Q: We have just had some fire prevention work carried out in our black. It began in the social housing and is now being carried out in the private area. Essentially, they had to put fire protection materials in any gaps behind the door surrounds and also where there might be gaps in …
Self-Closing Fire Doors Q: What liability do we have for instituting fire doors with self-closers and thumb locks as well as smoke alarms in individual flats where all owners are basically owners of the freehold? Our fire risk assessment has asked that those doors should be put in, along with emergency lighting. I have advised people …
Short-term Lets and Fire Safety Q: While our management is confident that our fire safety systems and procedures are entirely appropriate for 90 per cent of our flats which are owner occupied or let long term, we have a concern about a very small number of flats which are occasionally used for short term letting …
Front Doors and Fire Regs Q: Our development of 36 flats was built 1990. Residents have begun to enquire about replacing their individual front doors with more attractive, thermally-efficient and secure composite doors, which requires permission from our freehold-owning RMC. As company secretary and acting managing agent, I’ve tried to find ways we could help …
Paying for Fire Safety Improvements Q: In the absence of relevant provisions in the lease, does the management board have any legal authority to compel leaseholders to accept (and pay for) fire safety improvements in the apartments, for example, intumescent seals and self-closing hinges being added to front doors? Another example is the installation of …
Replacement of Cladding post Grenfell Q: We have scheduled external redecoration in 2019, and we are given to believe that it is proposed to replace the cladding. In spring this year our residents’ association put in writing our objection to the proposed Intention to carry out works on the cladding as the earlier findings of the Fire Service stated the cladding does not …
Training for the Role Q: We have just upgraded the fire alarm systems to four separate blocks on our site including heat detectors within each flat. (37 in total). As part of the refurbishment we decided to upgrade our Fire Risk Assessment documentation by appointing an independent fire safety person and I’ve just received the …
Q: I have a question about certain costs which have been passed to our service charge by our freeholder. Our development opened in 2013. Every 12 months since then a fire safety review has been performed by a private company. As a result of these assessments a number of recommendations have been made due to …
Q: The common hallway lighting circuits at our block recently failed an ‘electrical condition report’ due to the absence of an earth wire in the cabling. The block was built in 1965 and the wiring conforms to the standards in force at that date, The lighting cables pass current electrical insulation tests and during the last …
Q: We would be grateful for guidance on how frequently we should be testing our communal fire alarms (smoke detectors). The development comprises 11 blocks of flats ranging in size from three to 16 flats in four-storey buildings (including the ground floor). There are 117 flats in total and all communal areas have smoke alarms …